Transcript for More than 2,000 stranded Americans return home from the Caribbean

And a much longer trip home for Americans who were caught in the kricaribbean. This number tonight. More than 2,000 Americans have now made it out onto U.S. Military planes and on private cruise ships, as conditions on those islands continue to deteriorate. ABC's David Wright is in San Juan tonight. Reporter: On some of the hardest hit islands here in the caribbean, including St. Thomas and St. Martin, destruction is now giving way to despair. Water and food. We don't have that. Reporter: The U.S. Military has been scrambling to help stranded Americans, who have faced a long wait. Lieutenant colonel Humberto pabril of the Puerto Rico National Guard has piloted several of the giant C-17s packed with people. Craig was stuck on St. Thomas, hoping to get on a ship chartered by Marriott. But his group was turned away. So, the ship left with plenty of empty spaces? Plenty of empty spaces, shut the lights off, left us there to get back. Reporter: Marriott said it wanted to help, but says its team on the ground was told by dock security they had no authorization to board additional passengers who were not on the manifest. The troops here say the Americans who needed rescue are now safely out, and the focus now turns to the desperate people left behind. David? David Wright tonight on the long trip home. David, our thanks to you. Tonight, Irma is officially gone. What's left is rain, but what about Jose? Hard to believe we have to ask this. This hurricane just behind Irma now. Tonight, the track does show it could very well affect the east coast of the United States with, at the very least, very heavy surf. ABC chief meteorologist ginger zee back in New York tonight. Ginger? Reporter: David, you can barely see the center of Irma, or what's left of it. That's the center there. The rain shield, from Louisiana, all the way up into Pennsylvania. This thing has weakened significantly. Now we turn to Jose. Out there in the atlantic. Well east of the Bahamas. It looks not that healthy on satellite. It's run into a lot of dry air, a lot of wind shear. Going to get for may Vore favorable environment and try to turn away from the United States. I think we can all use that break. On the current track, keeping only high surf and rip currents for the east coast. David? Let's keep Jose out at sea. Ginger zee, thank you tonight.

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